A few locals excel at CIF-SS Division 2 Track prelims

MOORPARK >> While many of the standouts from the CIF-SS Division 2 Track and Field Prelims on Saturday at Moorpark High School were from outside the San Gabriel Valley, there were a few locals who excelled as well.

The top nine finishers in each event advanced to next Saturday’s CIF-SS Finals at Cerritos College.

The Glendora girls were the only single team with more than one qualifier, with Sidney Pink advancing in the high jump and Emily Hoey advancing in the 1600 meters.

Both Redlands’ Juanita Webster and Margaux Jones qualified in four events for the Terriers. Both were on the 4x100 relay, and Webster made it in the 300 hurdles, the triple jump and the high jump, while Jones advanced in the 100 and 200 meters and the long jump.

Jones’ time of 24.38 seconds in the 200 gave her not only the top qualifying time for finals, but also a school record.

“I’m definitely happy I PR’d in the 2,” she said, although adding she would like to improve her start in the 100 and avoid scratching in the long jump.

But she is optimistic for next week.

“I think we’re competitors for CIF,” she said. “I know the other girls on my team want it just as much as I do.”

In addition to Webster and Jones, Redlands qualified two others in the high jump (Savannah Miller and Alisha Edwards) as well as Claire Crowley in the 800, and the 4x400 relay team.

All three city of Redlands public schools are in Division 2, but Redlands High had the vast majority of finals qualifiers. Redlands East Valley had none and Citrus Valley had only Claire Graves (3,200) advancing.

Some events don’t have much drama at prelims, such as the high jump and pole vault. As soon as the field is whittled down to the final nine, competition stops.

That’s why Carter’s Eric Moore, the defending state champion in the high jump only cleared 6-foot-4, along with McDermott and Oak Hills’ A.J. Walton.

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“I think next week, it’s going to take 6-10 or 6-11 to win it,” he said.

While Moore qualified in only one event, teammate Zamore Zigler qualified in two individual events (100 and 200) and the 4x100 relay.

Oak Hills had three athletes qualify in multiple events: Walton (high jump, triple jump), Arhmaan Williams (both hurdles) and Schae Graham (girls 200 and 400). “I’m really happy with my time in the 200 (24.82), which was a PR,” Graham said. “My old one was 25.3.”

Oak Hills also had the girls 4x100 relay team advance, and Troy Bacon had an impressive throw of 177-2 to be the top qualifier for discus finals.

It was also a big day for Summit, which qualified many boys, including: Damion Alloway (100) and Randy Alloway (long jump), Erik Brown (100, 200), Mario Magana (400), and the 4x100 relay. On the girls side, Destiny Parker advanced in both the shot put and discus and Tyler Hardge made it in the 300 hurdles.